THe Boy and the Mirror
by Rita Kippley
Summary: A shy girl gets noticed by the guy of her dreams and it changes her forever.


Tripp 3

1,698

**I **_**Am**_** Beautiful**

The lighthouse glowed in the late afternoon light. The graffiti seemed to host some kind of sacredness, as though it were an ancient scripture to a lost language. The smashing of waves was loud and wild against the red base of the "sea" Lantern. Technically Lake Michigan isn't a sea, but I'm sure it's understood what I mean. For the lake's vast waters seem to spread as wide, treacherous, and adventurous as the sea itself.

I walked with my nose to the ground, taking in the cement fragments of the break wall surface. Each minuscule grain of cement seemed to almost shine, if a person looked just right. As I come to the rocky part of the break wall, which the town decided to keep for some reason, I took in the different shapes and forms inside and around the rocks. Swirls of rainbow colors weave in and out like an intricate cloth while it is stamped with the skeletons of shells and other deep lake life.

I looked from the lake to the sky, which was ablaze with colors. The whole sky seemed like all of the warm colors of the spectrum, swirled together on a paint pallet. The cool breeze caressed my shoulder and sent a shiver through me. People still needed jackets. On the edge of the sky where the silver lining of the water and sky meet, the sun sets slowly as if prolonging its sleep. A few seagulls fly by mocking me with their call that sounds like a maniacal laugh.

"What a pity it is that you can not enjoy this wonder up close, you pitiful human." They seemed to be saying. And then I would scream back at them.

"Well at least I have thumbs" That was the lamest excuse we humans could give other creatures like the seagull. Why it is illegal to kill one of these vermin I will never know. With their horrid eyes, dirty claws and feathers, and tendency to feed on whatever they can get their talons on. The law seems unfair at times.

Speaking of lake life I turn around and observe the fishermen and their present catches. The scales of the fish luminously sparklein the mystic sunset, as if they were embedded with sapphires. Their eyes were wide and clear. Their chests moved in and out as they began sucking in the horrible oxygen that fish live without. It did not seem to suffer as it slowly drew its last breath.

I remembered the first time my Dad took me fishing. It was in a very small town and we had gone for a ride in our blue pontoon first. I remember the feel of the waves and the bouncing of the boat. Dad was taking lots of pictures, not paying attention to how many he took. By the time we had stopped to fish it was already late afternoon.

About 10 minutes into the fishing, I caught a small fish. The fish was green and shiny. The scales looked like little green pennies that were glued together. Even though it was small I was proud to have caught it. I asked Dad to take a picture, but he was out of film. So I put the fish back and watched it swim away. Someone else would catch him.

As I continue to walk up the castle like break wall, I hear a voice call my name.

"Emilie! Hey!" called the familiar voice. I should have fainted. Just as I thought my life couldn't get any better, Aiden had decided to take his afternoon stroll at the break wall.

"What's Up" I asked him, hoping and praying that my blush wasn't to noticeable. Then as I was marveling at his face, which was a marvelous thing to look at, I realized that he was turning a dark shade of red. He was blushing! It was the most misaligned thing I've ever seen him do.

"Nothing much, I guess I just wanted to talk to you." I looked at him skeptically; he just wanted to talk to me…right.

"Ok Aiden, I'll see you later." I called. I then turned and began to walk away. Then I thought to myself _"Wait, you idiot why are you walking away?!" _To embarrassed to turn back around I kept walking

I remember the first day I met Aiden Johnson. It was last year in the middle of my first year of high school. I was in band class, god help me, and I turned toward the door, which was a habit of mine since the clock was right above the door. I then looked down and met a pair of big brown eyes fringed by black lashes and almost hidden by a head of shaggy black hair. I then realized when I looked at his eyes again that he noticed me looking. I quickly looked away, embarrassed that he caught me looking. They belonged to the new boy who I had seen in the hall this morning. He seemed to be very shy since he was slinking in a corner.

He didn't come sit down he just stood and tried to listen, but every so often I caught him looking at me. At first I thought 'What's his problem?' but then his looked turned to complete curiosity. I don't blame him with my platinum blonde hair with blue stripes and amber eyes; I must have looked like a freak.

Class eventually ended and to no surprise the boy just kept standing there. I walked toward him and once again looked into his brown eyes.

"Emilie, wait! " Aiden's voice broke my current flashback. I turned toward him and realized I had walked about 30 steps and stopped. Oh the humility.

"That's not all I wanted to say!" he said as he stopped again by my side.

"Ok then. What else did you want to tell me?"

"Well it's more of a question than a statement."

"I'm listening."

"Well…" He just looked at the ground and wouldn't meet my eyes. What is gong on in this boys head? I bet he was going to ask more about Aaliyah. Aaliyah Jones was head dance chief at our school. Everyone loved her and she was the drama queen. But she wasn't that smart. I think that she had bleached that already platinum blonde hair of hers way too many times. I think the chemicals went straight to her head.

"Yes?"

"Weather's nice isn't it?"

"I suppose" The Weather? What the heck? Now I'm really confused.

"How is school gong for you?"

"Fine." He should know since he's my tutor.

"Good"

"Now will you ask me what you really wanted to ask me?" His blush turned to an even darker red. I was starting to get annoyed. Can't he just spit it out?

"Aiden just spit it out!" He took one large breathe as though he were about to jump off a cliff with hell or high water at the bottom. His hands were trembling and he looked assuredly nervous.

"Ok. Well you know I like you right

"Yeah, ok".

"Well you know the spring dance coming up?"

"Yes."

"I was wondering if you would go with me."

"What?" Did I just hear him right or was I dreaming?

"I was wondering if you would go with me to the spring dance." It sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Umm…What about Aaliyah?"

"What about her?"

"I thought you were going out with her."

"Where did you hear that!?"

"Aaliyah."

"Well Aaliyah needs to screw her head on straight." Wow, never thought I'd hear him say that.

"There I can agree with you."

"But that aside, will you go to the spring dance with me?" My insides were turning into a tornado.

"Yes." That's all I could make myself say. He smiled a great big smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Great I'll see you tomorrow." He started running back toward the end of the break wall. Every so often I saw him turn his head to look at me.

The next morning I got up early to get ready for school. Yesterday's events were still buzzing in my head as if I had read them in a book and they weren't actual reality. I turned the radio to my favorite station to listen while I packed my bag. I listened in to the local newscast. Nothing very interesting. However school was canceled. There turned out to be a last minute teacher in-service. I got bored and turned the radio off and turned on my Emilie Autumn CD.

I was thoroughly disappointed that school was canceled. Not because I liked school, but because I couldn't go see Aidan. I remembered then that he had asked me out to the dance. I snickered, how could someone so perfect want to go out with someone as imperfect as me? I turned toward the door ready to go into the kitchen and get a pop-tart for breakfast. But as I turned, my eyes fell on the black fabric covering the shining glass of my full length mirror. All I could do was stare at that piece of fabric. How long had it been since I'd really seen myself? Curious, I slowly pulled away the soft black fabric. As it fell, I quickly looked down, afraid for the worst. Then slowly, ever so slowly, I lifted my eyes.

It was me, no doubt about it. But there was something strange about this version of me. Even though I was in my pajamas, with no makeup, and haystack hair, I was still…pretty. I then closed my eyes, took two deep breathes, and looked at the mirror again. My reflection hadn't changed. It's weird I hadn't realized how much I had changed in the past few years. I laughed as I waved at myself. I smiled content with myself for the first time. All of a sudden my cell rang, it was Aidan. I smiled. And with one final look at my true self, I went into the living room to talk to the person who helped me realize that I _am_ beautiful.


End file.
